Our Mixed Emotions
by xxosnapitsakarixx
Summary: Leila Covington was Princess of Hedaway. All her life she wanted to discover new things, without her royalty status getting in the way. That's until an arranged marriage with the Prince of Philip came into the picture. How would she handle the sudden engagement? Especially if it meant having to live with him in the kingdom?
1. Chapter 1

My eyes shot open from the aroma of coffee taking over my scent, as the brightness revealed itself from the curtains being drawn. My vision cleared as my maid appeared before me, with a tray in her hands. On it was a cup of coffee, as well as a English muffin with strawberry jam.

"Good morning miss Leila. I have brought you the usual, coffee fixed up, two sugar cubes, with more milk than usual. As well as your English muffin, of course." She spoke gently, placing the tray on my lap, as she raised my pillow behind me.

I gave her a warm smile, as I looked at my tray. Everything looked delicious. I was not a heavy eater, so this was satisfactory for me. I looked over at my maid, who was standing with her hands in front of her body, still smiling as she watched me eat. I picked up half of my English muffin, motioning her to take it. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at me, confused.

"Would you like some? It's only acceptable that you eat some of the food you made. I'd feel bad if I ate this all in front of you." I pleaded, as I asked her to take some.

She was hesitant, as her hand reached over to take it, but suddenly shot it away. She shook her head side to side.

"N-No I couldn't your majesty. I made that meal for you, and if your parents found out I had ate your food-"

I interrupted her, feeling quite aggravated that she was referring to me so formally. I didn't like when she called me "Your Majesty". It made me feel as if I was a higher status than her, just because I was royalty.

"Please, just call me Leila. If you don't take my offer, I hope you know that you'll be disappointing me. Now do you really want to make me upset?" I argued, passing the muffin back to her.

She finally took it from my hands, giving me a thank you nod. I watched her take a bite, seeing a smile form on her face. Then suddenly, it looked as if she was remembering something. She stuffed the remainder of the muffin into her mouth, which made me release a slight giggle.

"I came here to give you breakfast, but I was also informed by the King and Queen that you are to attend a party at Philip Kingdom. All the royals are to attend this party, so you may run into some other princes and princesses from different kingdoms." She explained to me, as I sighed to myself.

"What is the purpose of me attending these parties anyway? It's the same old thing. I stand there drinking champagne, until someone asks me to dance, and repeat. My feet are sore by the end of the night. Won't it ever be different?" I said, in an exasperated tone.

"I'll have your dress delivered to you in the next hour. Until then, please cheer up Miss Leila. I'd hate to see you arrive at the party in a foul mood." She said, as if completely ignoring my last words.

She exited my room with a bow, and closed the door behind her. I released a big sigh, as I gulped down the remainder of my coffee. The sweetness surrounded my taste buds, making me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I took the last bite of my muffin, and placed the tray on my bedside table. I let out a stretch, sitting up from my bed. My legs felt wobbly as I stood up, just wanting to slip myself back into my bed once more. Although I didn't hate being royalty, these parties never amounted to much.

I walked over to my white vanity, sitting in the stool in front of my mirror. I examined my face, as my hair looked a complete mess, due to the fact that I had only woken up not a few minutes ago. I took my hairbrush, and stroked my hair until every tangle had vanished. I ran my fingers through my medium length brown hair, feeling how soft it had now become. I never did my own makeup for parties. I had always wanted to do my makeup, but my maids would always take over. I would always watch the maids do my mother's makeup when I was younger, and the idea of eyeliner grossed me out. I would always freak out at the idea they were poking her in the eye with a pencil. I laughed to myself at the sudden memories, as I heard a knock on my door already.

"Please, come in." I said in a raised tone.

I turned around to see my maid had returned, with several other maids by her side. They all had bags in their hands, which appeared to be carrying makeup, or at least that was my guess anyway.

"Miss Leila, this is Katrina and Mary. They will be doing your makeup. And over here, is Maria and Justice, they will be doing your hair. I will bring your dress soon as I had addressed earlier. Now please, excuse me. Ladies, make sure she looks stunning for tonight." She said sternly to them, as they nodded acceptingly.

They approached me, as I watched my maid walk out of the room. I looked at each maid in curiosity, wondering why it was so necessary that they must do everything for me. I watched the two unzip the makeup bags. I looked over at the others, who had plugged in a curling iron in a nearby outlet. Katrina and Mary approached me from the front, as they began to apply my makeup. I closed my eyes, as I felt my hair being separated into strands, feeling the heat from the curling iron slightly hit against my scalp. I liked the feeling of having my hair touched, but someday I would want to do my own hair and makeup. I continued to sit there in silence, as they continued to work, as an artist would on their own masterpiece.

An hour passed, as they had finally finished perfecting my look. I turned to look at myself in the mirror and a smile grew onto my face. I studied myself, seeing how detailed my makeup was, and how my curls had fallen into perfect ringlets. Two small curls rested against my face, as my makeup was the perfect shade to match my pale complexion. I turned to them, giving them a polite smile to show my gratitude.

"Thank you so much, everyone, for putting your time into doing all this. I truly do appreciate it."

They bowed to me in sync, as I had seen the dress had been resting on my bed. She must have brought it in while I was getting my hair and makeup done. I smiled at the red dress, which had ruffles along the bottom, which matched the color of the silky dress. It was a strapless dress, which made me adore it even more. I had unzipped the bag, pulling the dress out. I slid off my pajama pants and top, folding them neatly onto my bed. I had walked over to my dresser to pull out a pair of pantyhose, as a pair of red panties, and a matching strapless bra. I had never went bra shopping before, as my mother would send out the maids to do all my shopping, although it was weird they knew my measurements. I slipped on my undergarments, stepping into the dress carefully. The bottom flowed out gracefully; as I saw the ruffles form. I slipped on the pair of matching heels that had rested alongside my bed. I walked out onto my balcony, looking out to the garden below me. All the red and pink roses stood out, even though we were quite distanced. It was usually empty down there, which is why I always liked going for walks around it at night. Then the party came to mind. I wasn't sure what to expect for tonight, although I knew it would be the same type of routine. I didn't ever meet the royalty from Philip, which made my curiosity even higher than it was. I continued to stare down onto the scenery, waiting the time I would be called.

I had mixed feelings about this party.


	2. Chapter 2

The evening had finally come as I sat in the limo on the way to Philip Kingdom. I looked out at the scenery from my window, watching everything speed by. I was sitting beside my maid Annie, who was trying her hardest to cheer me up. I wasn't upset, but rather tired of the same activities. All I could ever want was a simple walk in the park, or travel around the world such as Rome, India, and many other places with such elegance.

"Miss Leila, please put a smile on your face as we walk in. I wouldn't want false accusations made about you in the papers." Annie said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Such as what? Sour faced Princess arrives in foul mood? Please. That's nothing than compared to the other articles." I scoffed.

I had remembered once they had written an article about how I was not wedded yet, and how at age 23 I should have a fiancee. They don't realize that love takes time, and can't be expected to just happen. It didn't bother me, but rather gave me a good laugh.

We finally arrived at the Kingdom, as a red carpet led up all the way to the doors. It was quite big, as the door opened for me. I gave a nod, as I stepped out carefully. A man approached us, as I looked at Annie pleadingly, as to just go back home now. She shook her head, and pointed over to the man who walked over to us.

"Hello ladies. I am Claude, and welcome to Philip Kingdom. Shall I escort you inside?" He asked, offering us both his arms.

"Thank you. But aren't these parties usually held at Nobel Michel? I was quite confused to hear it was being hosted here. Not that it matters though." I questioned him, as he smiled at me.

"Yes. But this is a certain party. It's actually for you, your highness." He answered friendly.

For me? This confused me even more. He led us inside the castle, and bowed to me before leaving our side. I looked over at Annie once again, who looked as if she was hiding something. I grabbed her by both shoulders, until she looked up at my head, fixing my tiara.

"Your tiara was crooked, Miss. Let me fix it."

I let out a sigh, and rolled my eyes. What did he mean by this? A party for me? I wasn't even told such a thing. I figured this was just a regular old party. It wasn't my birthday. I began searching for Claude throughout the room, not watching where I was walking. I walked through people, until I felt myself bump into someone. My body threw back a bit, as I caught my balance. I looked up to see a blonde man, with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes. He appeared to be royalty as well, as I curtsied to show my forgiveness.

"I-I'm very sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I spoke nervously.

He gave a little laugh, and bowed himself.

"No worries, my lady. I can say I wasn't watching where I was heading either. I suppose we're both at fault." His tone was quite friendly.

"I suppose so. If you do not mind me asking, where are you from? I had noticed you were royal from what you are wearing. If not, correct me." I asked, trying my hardest not to sound like a total fool.

"I'm actually Prince of Philip. I would of thought you had known that." He informed me.

"I'm not quite on par these days. Forgive me and my lack of knowledge. It's quite embarrassing how I hardly know anything about the royal family here, yet I stand in your Kingdom." I joked.

He laughed with me, as I noticed how what a nice smile he had. I had never met him at any of the parties before. He seemed polite, but I could sense somewhat of cold, or indifferent personality in him when he was not putting on his prince act for everyone. I wondered who this man was really. But I had just met him, so it hadn't bothered me as much.

"May I ask where you are from?" He questioned me.

"Hedaway. It's about 20 minutes away from here. I'm the crown princess there." I told him.

His smile faded, as he suddenly looked expressionless. I examined his face more, as he suddenly looked away from me.

"So you're the princess of Hedaway? I figured..." He said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"No, it's nothing. Please, excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you." He spoke one last time, and walked away in a faster pace than usual.

What was going on today? Everything felt so weird. Firstly a party that was apparently being held for me, now this weird guy, who suddenly changed like the wind. I had to know more about this. It was killing me to know why Claude had said this. I continued to wander around the room, until a loud voice surrounded the hall. I tried to find the location of this loud voice, until everyone began to crowd around the middle. I was pushed around by a bunch of people, as my jaw drew open from how rude these people could be. I managed to find a spot at the back, but being as short as I am, I could barely see from the skyscrapers standing in front of me. I got onto my tip toes, as I realized the voice was Claude, who was holding a microphone in one hand, as well as a champagne glass in the other. He began to speak.

"This is a very important celebration today. Prince Wilfred is newly engaged, and we appreciate you all for coming tonight."

Cheers surrounded the room, as I stood there dumbfounded. I thought Claude had told me this party was for me? Or was that just a welcoming since I was a royal? I looked over to see Annie standing beside Claude. My eyes widened as she caught my gaze, giving me an "I'll explain everything later" look. I shook my head at her, as she looked up at Claude to speak again.

"Prince Wilfred, please come up with your fiancee. Miss Leila, where are you?" He asked.

My heart started pounding as he called my name, as everyone's eyes looked at me. How did they know I was Leila? Why was he calling me? There's no way I'm Prince Wilfred's fiancee. I don't even have the slightest idea who he is. I continued to stand there, my eyes widened, as my jaw dropped. Suddenly, the crowd moved to the side, as the blonde man I had met earlier walked up to me, and held out his hand. I held my hand back, as his glare was strong. I hesitantly took his hand as he escorted me to the front. Everyone broke into clapping and cheering as we reached the front, holding hands. Why was he holding my hand? No. No, this can't be happening. I'm not engaged to anyone.

"Introducing the couple of Prince Wilfred, and Princess Leila." Claude announced.

"W-What?!" I whispered to myself, as Prince Wilfred must of heard me.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that? Relax." He said sharply.

I looked up at him, as he continued to look straight forward with a smile. I looked over at Annie, as she had a guilty look on her face. I mouthed a word out to her.

"You-Will- Pay-For-This"

He led me onto the dance floor, as a bright song came on. I had so much running through my mind, as he put my other hand onto his shoulder.

"Can you dance?" He asked.

"Of course I can dance. What kind of royalty would I be if I couldn't?" I told him, with a hint of coldness in my voice.

He gave a little laugh, as he began to lead me across the dance floor, as we were looking straight at each other. It felt uncomfortable, because I still had no idea what was going on here.

"So, what is exactly going on? We're not actually getting married are we? This is because of that stupid tabloid isn't it? I knew I should of sued. But that wouldn't be very acceptable of me. I-" He interrupted my long speech.

"You do go on, don't you? Didn't you hear about this at all?" He asked, with a smirk.

I shook my head.

"It's an arranged marriage. Have you never heard of one before? Are you sure you're a princess?" He teased.

"I don't need your jokes right now. I'm not too happy about this, and I'm not sure how you are." I whispered to him.

"You think I asked for this? I don't know how I feel about you being my fiancee. You're too selfish." He argued back.

"Me? Selfish? You could of put effort into stopping this! You think I want to be married right now? I have so much ahead of me in life, and this ruins everything. I don't have the slightest clue on who you are! I knew coming here would be a nightmare. Now please, excuse me. I'm done here." I escaped from him, as I ran out of the kingdom, holding back the tears that had been aching to escape from my eyes.

I couldn't be engaged. I wasn't ready, and not even my own parents had informed me of the sudden engagement. Why was it so necessary? Couldn't I rule without a husband? I came all this way to Philip just to be told I needed to get married. I couldn't hold back my tears anymore, as I let all my emotions pour out. I sat on the nearest bench, placing my face into my hands, sobbing to myself. I had to pull myself together. A princess wouldn't be caught dead crying. At this point I didn't care. I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking up to see Annie looking down on me with worried eyes.

"Miss Leila..I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you. It was your mother and father who had planned this all along." She comforted me, as she rubbed my back.

"Annie I can't do this. I can't marry a man I don't love, or even know. Can we just go home please? I need a warm bath. Call and tell the maids to prepare it. I'm going home now." I said sternly, walking in front of her.

"Y-You're highness!"

I cleared my throat, raising my eyebrow towards her. She looked down as if she had knew what she had said wrong.

"M-Miss Leila. You cannot go home. B-Because..." She said hesitantly, not revealing the rest of the sentence.

"Annie, spit it out. Why can I not go home? I'm done at this party, and I refuse to speak to Prince Wilfred." I argued with her, trying to remain calm.

"Y-You shall be living here miss. It's mandatory for your engagement, so I'm afraid you cannot go home."

I froze at her words, as my body went into shock. I'd be living at Philip Kingdom, with Prince Wilfred, without my parents, nor Annie by my side. I knew this wasn't turning out good already.


	3. Chapter 3

Two hours had passed, as I was being forced to stand beside Prince Wilfred for the remainder of the party. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, just wanting to release all the emotions that were hiding inside of me. Realizing that I would be living here, rather than being in my own surroundings made me extremely uncomfortable. I could not bear the feeling. I began to think negatively, until Prince Wilfred spoke up.

"Would you care to dance Princess Leila?" He held out his hand, looking me straight in the eyes.

Knowing I could not say no, I hesitantly accepted his hand. He led me to the middle of the dance floor, as his grip on my back was gentle. He pulled me closer which surprised me quite a bit, although I couldn't complain at this moment. Our bodies began moving swiftly to the music, as everyone around us stopped dancing, and cast their gaze upon us. I could tell Prince Wilfred wanted to speak to me just by reading his face, which is when I spoke up.

"You don't have to be silent. I'm not going to tear you to shreds." I sighed.

"You don't like me very much, do you? I could tell quite easily." He asked, as I saw hurt in his eyes.

I suddenly felt guilt, realizing I was taking my anger out on him, which was certainly not fair to him. He had not done anything to offend me. I let out another long sigh, and looked up at him with apologetic eyes.

"No, please don't assume that. I just don't agree with this arranged marriage. If anything, we should all have a chance to marry someone we love. I'd want that for you too, so I feel like I'm taking away your chance of finding someone you truly love. I had realized I must of been taking my anger out on you, and I sincerely apologize." I explained, feeling the honesty pour out of me.

He was silent for a moment, as he must of been soaking in what I had just said. Then he began laughing.

"W-Why are you laughing? Did you not hear a single word I had said?" I said angrily. How could he laugh at a time like this.

"I'm laughing because you're so formal. Relax. I must admit, I was thinking the same thing as well. I suppose our chances of love are non-existent by now." He joked, as well as being serious.

I found myself laughing as well, realizing how idiotic I must of sounded. We smiled at each other, and oddly enough, I wasn't so stiff in front of him as I had been before. I often have a habit of taking my anger out on those who surely don't deserve it. The music had ended, until I felt him squeeze my hand, and looked up at him.

"If you were curious on how this arranged marriage had began, I can explain the story to you afterwards. Come find me later on." He said, then walked away.

"Ahem?" I said loud enough for him to hear clearly.

He looked at me confused, as I curtsied to him to thank him for the dance. He smiled giving me a small bow, then continued to walk away. I began smiling to myself, and walked the opposite direction. I had found Annie talking to Claude, seeing that she had been around him quite a bit. I walked over curiously, and touched her arm.

"Annie. You will be staying here right? I need you here for me." I asked, eagerly awaiting her answer.

"Yes, Annie shall be accompanying you during your stay here. I have showed her the location of your room, which she will be showing to your highness." Claude directed.

"And of course, at your parents request. I am to stay by your side to ensure you are safe. Miss Leila, come this way." Annie said, leading me up the long stairway.

She led me down a long hall, which was quite dark, but understandable since it was quite dark outside. We reached a white door, as she turned the knob to reveal a beautiful pink room, which was quite elegant. It consisted of a white vanity in the corner, with a pink bed in the middle of the room. There were two bows on the bars of the bed, which made me smile. I walked over, feeling the soft texture of the bows. I sat down on the bed, feeling how comfortable the mattress must of been. I threw myself down onto my back, soaking in a quite nice scent. Even the room smelt good. Until my eyes reached two doors, with gold handles on both. My jaw dropped as I looked over at Annie excitingly, running over to the door, opening them. They opened outside, to lead to a balcony. Suddenly, staying here didn't seem to be a bad idea. I looked down from the balcony to see a beautiful garden. I heard footsteps approach me from behind.

"Annie isn't this great? It's the most beautiful view I've seen. Possibly even better than the view from my balcony."

"You're like a child on Christmas morning." I heard a mans voice, as I shot my body around, to see Prince Wilfred.

"Prince Wilfred? Where did Annie go?" I questioned.

"She went back downstairs to see Claude. I think your maid has developed a crush on my Butler." He said mischievously.

I laughed at his words.

"I wouldn't even call her my maid. She's more like my own personal slave, but of course, not in a bad way. I care deeply about her." I told him, as he came to stand beside me.

"Who do you all care about?" He asked inquisitive.

"Huh? That's quite a weird question." I said puzzled.

"Answer the question. Who are all the people you care about?" He demanded me to answer.

"Well...There's my parents of course. Annie, as I had mentioned earlier. And..." I stopped, realizing that's all I could answer.

"There's no one else, is there?" His tone lowered.

"No..I suppose not. Not too many people enter my life these days. It's always just been my parents, Annie and myself. It gets quite lonely now that I think about it." I said, feeling disappointment enter into me.

He was silent once again, as he looked at me. I looked back up at him, deciding to ask him the same question.

"What about you? Who do you all care about?"

"Nobody."

"What?"

"I realized, the more you care about someone, the more likely you are to be hurt. I had learned that because of you." He said sternly, and looked up at the night sky.

"Because of me? But we had just met tonight." I said, not knowing what he had meant.

"You said that you were taking my chance of love away because of our arranged marriage. My parents, as well as your parents, arranged this. If they really cared about me, they would allow me to find someone I love, as well as you. There's many flaws to being royalty isn't there Leila?"

"Wilfred..." I said hush.

"Well, I've gone on long enough. I'll explain more tomorrow. Let's both get some rest. Breakfast is 9am. Good night." He left the balcony, shooting me one last smile as he escorted himself out of my room.

I stood there, still taking in what he had said. He made excellent points. If our parents really cared about us, they would want us to find love ourselves, and not have an arranged marriage. I just wanted this day to be over.

I walked back inside, closing the balcony doors. I slid off my red dress, walking over to the armoire. I grabbed a hanger, and put my dress onto it, before shutting the door. Then I realized, I had no clothes. I stood there in my undergarments, as my eyes wandered around nervously. I decided to yell out Annie's name.

"Annie! Annie!" I screamed outside the door.

I stood there, waiting anxiously for her to enter, but she didn't. I turned around and threw myself onto my bed, pretending to make crying noises. It wasn't my fault they didn't leave anything for me to change into. I heard the door fly open, as I turned around hoping to see Annie.

But it wasn't her.


	4. Chapter 4

I turned to see a women, who appeared in a maids uniform. I felt relief, as I was hoping it had not been Prince Wilfred, or Claude for that matter. She had been holding what appeared to be a silky nightgown. She reached out her hands to place the nightgown in my hands, as I held it up in front of me. It was purple silk, and looked like it could fit me perfectly. I questioned who had brought me the piece of clothing.

"Was this Annie who told you to deliver this to me? That was sweet of her." I smiled ask I asked her.

"No, your majesty. It was Prince Wilfred's doing. He had noticed you had not brought any article of clothing since you had just came here today." She informed me, as she gave me a quick bow, and left the room.

I slipped on the nightgown, and looked at myself in my vanity mirror, seeing that it had been a perfect fit. I wonder what girls wore this before I did? Maybe Prince Wilfred had a girlfriend? Well, it was none of my business anyway. I had wanted this day to end already, as I turned off the light switch, wrapping myself up in my bed. It reminded me of home. I loved how the sheets smelled so fresh. I began to feel slightly homesick, as I turned to the side to face my balcony. I had remembered my conversation with Prince Wilfred out on the balcony. He was quite honest for the first day I met him, which was a good quality about him. Although I had wondered who he was when he didn't have his prince act on. Oddly enough, I wanted to get to know him. I continued to think about it, and suddenly I felt my eyes get heavy. I cleared my mind as best as I could, and before I knew it, I had entered a deep sleep.

Breakfast came, as I sat at the dining room table beside Prince Wilfred. He had been staring at his plate the whole time, not even touching it. We had been served Eggs Benedict, which was quite delicious. The aroma filled the room, which was also a delicious smell. I looked over at Prince Wilfred, who scowled.

"I don't really like eggs. I have them too often. Claude, take this away from me." His tone was stern, as Claude quickly grabbed his plate, and scurried away with the breakfast plate.

"What? You do realize that's a waste of food right? Especially how coldly you spoke to Claude." I said strictly to him, as he turned to me surprised.

"Who are you to tell me how to act to my butler? How do you treat Annie?" He spoke, with a hint of annoyance. Who was he right now? It was a side of him I had never seen before, and yet, it oddly satisfied me on who he really was.

"I speak to her like a human being, that's how! They aren't just butlers you know. They are just like us, except for the royalty status. Just because we're royalty, doesn't mean we aren't normal people like they are. Prince Wilfred, take my words to heart." I argued back, standing up from my chair.

He held a gaze on me, as I raised an eyebrow in confusion. He shook his head laughing, and held out a hand towards me. He motioned for me to place my hand in his. I hesitantly took his hand, as he guided me out of the dining room. I suppose my words must have gotten to him, or he had just completely ignored me, and decided to change the subject.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked him.

"You'll see. I have a feeling you will like it." His words made me even more anxious to know.

We continued to walk, and reached outside. He headed to the back of the palace, revealing the garden I had seen from my balcony. My jaw dropped slightly, as it revealed all sorts of flowers, as well as all different colours. There was an arch consisting of red roses while we had walked through it. He must had saw my fascination, and began to laugh.

"You look so fascinated." He told me.

"Can you blame me? This is beautiful. Quite different from mine back in Hedaway." I spoke, reaching out to touch a pink carnation. "These are my favourite."

"You like the carnations? And the pink ones too. You're such a girl." He joked, as he pulled a carnation out from the bush.

"A-Are you sure you can just take it like that? You wasted a perfectly grown carnation!" I said, raising my tone.

"Relax. I got this for you. Didn't you say you liked carnations? Besides, this is my garden. Do you really think I'll be yelled at for being in my own garden?" He defended himself, with a good point. He held out the pink carnation to me. I grabbed it, and held it up to my nose.

"I suppose your right. Thank you. The aroma is not very strong is it?"

"Not really. Unlike roses, the don't have a strong smell. You have to get quite close to them to actually smell it." He said, picking a carnation, and smelling it.

We began walking through the garden, as I could smell all kinds of different scents mixed together in the air. I closed my eyes as I breathed in the sweet smells. It appeared that this garden was taken very good care of. I always took an interest in flowers, and all the meanings of them.

"Carnations represent fascination, distinction, and love. Did you know that?" I began to find myself speaking to Prince Wilfred about flowers.

"Is that why you looked so fascinated earlier when you came in? The carnations may have been a part of that." He said, looking right at me as he spoke.

"That's a good way of thinking about it. I feel like flowers can show what you are thinking or feeling. It's an odd thing. It's like when they wilt. Without being cared for, they die. It somehow represents us. Without being cared for, we would slowly die inside. It's like if everyone forgot about us, we would feel powerless."

I had realized I mumbled on about a subject he had probably not cared much for. But I felt as if he needed to hear it. I remember he said he had not cared about anyone, which I could not believe. I continued to walk, until he had stopped, staring right at me. My eyes wandered around from the awkward situation, as I finally looked back at him to wonder what had grabbed his attention away so suddenly.

"What is it? Got lost in your own thoughts?" I joked, as he remained serious.

"You're quite amazing. You come up with the most ridiculous things, while they make a lot of sense. No, I shouldn't call it ridiculous. I like the way you combine such beautiful living things along with who we are, making them sound so similar." He said, sitting down on a white bench.

"I may have just been overthinking things. But...it was something I had always thought. Maybe we aren't the only fascinating living things on this planet. There's so much out there I want to discover. I'm still young, and sometimes I feel my royalty drags me away from doing my own things. That's why I take such an interest in such exquisite natures. I'm sorry if I'm boring you. I should just stop." I rambled, feeling as if I was boring him with my theories.

"No. It interests me a lot on how you think. I actually like it. You're just as fascinating as the flowers in this garden. You're very lively, along with the flowers as well." He took my hand, and put it in his.

"That's really nice of you. I used to think my dreams and assumptions were crazy. Now that I know I'm not the only one thinking it, I feel relieved." I smiled warmly at him, as he returned the smile.

My opinion had changed on Prince Wilfred. He may have been quite cold at times, but it was who he was. I had thought he may have been indifferent, which he could be, but he showed interest in the beautiful and elegant things. I had a feeling we could get along through this arranged marriage, and hopefully stop it together. I wanted him to find someone he could love, as well as myself. We both needed freedom.

"Leila." He said softly.

"Yes?"

"May we do this again? It was entertaining. I don't get that very often." He smiled at me, while he had asked a question I knew the answer to.

"Of course."

Our garden tour had officially come to end, as he walked me back to my room, giving me a small bow before he left. I curtsied to him, as he waved goodbye, before turning his back towards me. I shut the door to my room, throwing myself onto my bed, feeling as if I could crash anytime now. Oddly enough, I had fun too. I still didn't know Prince Wilfred as well as I had wanted to. This would take some time, but I'm sure I would get to know the real him.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a few days since our "marriage" as I should say, had been announced at the so called engagement party. My attitude had changed quite a bit, due to the fact that I had no say in the matter, and I would just start a gigantic argument with my parents. Today, I would be standing in front of Philip with Prince Wilfred, announcing our marriage again, but this time to everyone in Philip. My nerves were bouncing around in my stomach, which was quite odd, since I had usually never been nervous about public things like this. Maybe since it wasn't in Hedaway, I wasn't used to it.

I was in the library reading some books to pass the time when I would have to head up to the balcony. I found myself researching about Philip and it's history. It was very interesting to read about a country that I did not live in. I was about to flip the page until I heard a familiar voice.

"Leila. There you are." It was Prince Wilfred, who had a warm smile on his face.

"Oh, Prince Wilfred. It's good to see you here! Come to read as well?" I was surprised by my sudden friendliness.

He laughed. "No, I find it's quite nice in here. It's nice and quiet, and it gives me a chance to relax." He spoke, as he walked up to the table, pulling out a chair beside me. He noticed the book I was reading and smiled.

"Interested in Philip I see?"

I shut the book in embarrassment, as I turned away from him. I heard him laugh once again, as he patted me on the shoulder.

"Why are you embarrassed? It's nice to know you're so interested. What have you read so far?" He rested his head in his palm, and made eye contact with me.

"Well..I learned that it's the second largest kingdom after the Liberty Kingdom. It's also known for mannerisms, and that you're the 100th ruler for Philip. It's also quite a beautiful place to visit." I said to him, as his eyes wandered down to the book.

"Would you mind telling me a little bit about Hedaway? I'd love to hear about it, and possibly visit it someday." He spoke, as his words surprised me.

"Y-You want to know about it? Usually when I talk about it, people show no interest."

He took my hand in his, and held it to his chest. His bright blue eyes gazed deeply into mine, as he turned serious.

"I will show interest no matter what. So please, tell me about it. I don't know what it is Leila, but you're quite different from the people I usually meet." His still face formed into a smile, as my heart started beating faster.

"W-Wilfred..." I was flattered by his words, as I began to tell him about my home.

"There's a lot of islands, and they usually bloom the most beautiful flowers. It's known to be quite a wealthy country, although in the past there has been financial problems, but nothing too major. Everyone's friendly as well, sort of like Philip. We have an annual festival for the deceased royals every summer which I was originally suppose to attend, until this marriage came up. That was disappointing for me but I could not do anything about it anyways." Prince Wilfred stopped me, and suddenly asked me a question.

"Deceased royals? Is that where you honour the past King's and Queens?" He seemed interested as he asked me this.

"Yes, it is. We're obligated to attend which is understandable since we are royals. But my grandmother was queen, until she passed away. My mother was then announced queen, then everything seemed to go downhill for me. My freedom had gone down, while I was usually forced to stay in the castle." I felt myself get emotional at my grandmothers passing.

"Leila. I know exactly how you feel. Please don't be upset."

He pulled me into a sudden hug, as I couldn't help but cry. He was being so friendly to me, and I was surprised I told him all this. He pulled out a handkerchief from his coat pocket, and dabbed underneath my eyes.

"You shouldn't let people know you've been crying when we go out there. Let me dry your eyes." He smiled warmly at me, as I smiled back.

We laughed together for a moment, as he stood up, holding out his elbow to me. I looked up at him before I held onto his arm, as he spoke to me.

"Let's go. For both of our countries. For your grandmother as well. I'm sure she would be proud of you to this day." He removed a strand of hair from my face, and tucked it behind my ear.

"Yes." Was all I could say. I couldn't explain how much his words meant to me.

We walked upstairs to the balcony, as we waited outside. I went onto my tip toes, already to see a crowd of people. I looked up at Wilfred who looked down at me. We were soon accompanied by Claude and Annie.

"Just wave and smile miss. You'll be great out there. They'll love you!" She said, as she began to apply makeup to my face.

"Same goes for you, your highness. You'll be just fine out there." Claude spoke to Wilfred, as he straightened his jacket.

"Thank you Claude." He turned to me, holding his arm out once again, smiling. "Leila, shall we?"

I nodded to him, as I held onto his arm lightly. I looked back to Annie and Claude one last time, who were smiling and waving to us. I turned my attention back forwards.

We approached the very front of the balcony, as the sound of cheering filled the air. There were multiple screams, and the happiness on people's faces made me smile as well. I slowly raised my hand and began to wave to everyone happily. They began to cheer even more, as Wilfred waved along with me.

"Wilfred, I love you!" A loud voice yelled out.

"Leila, you're so gorgeous!" Another voiced yelled out, which made me break out into a big smile.

I looked up at Wilfred, who looked happy. I then thought how great of a king he could become. He seemed to be very loved by Philip. It then made me wonder if I would become a great queen. I was hoping my future would be a good one.

"You're doing great, Leila." Wilfred whispered to me.

"I could say the same to you. They really love you Wilfred. You'll make a great king." My words must of flattered him, as he took my hand, and raised it to his lips.

He kissed my hand, which I had wanted to quickly pull away from shyness, although that wouldn't look good in front of Philip. The crowd burst out in "Oooo's!" as I felt my cheeks burn a bright red. Wilfred must of noticed, as he chuckled, taking my hand in his, and began to wave goodbye to the crowd of roaring fans.

Annie rushed up to me, as she placed her hands on my shoulders, giving me a bright smile. My eyes shot back at Wilfred, who was speaking to Claude, as he turned expressionless.

"Miss Leila? Leila?" Annie shook me, once I finally came back to earth.

"O-Oh what we're you saying?" I asked her, feeling myself blush again.

"I was saying you two looked great up there. Claude and I were watching you two from below, and I have to say, you both look great as a couple." My expression went stern, as she said this.

"I appreciate your words, but I don't feel like that towards Prince Wilfred. So please refrain from saying that to me Annie." I said strictly, as she lowered her head.

"Sorry miss. My mistake. I'll escort you back to your room." She began to walk downstairs, as Wilfred and I made eye contact, until I broke it.

Once Annie had escorted me to my room, I had flopped myself down onto my bed, still absorbing the reactions from the people of Philip. It made me quite happy that they liked me, although I had a strong feeling of guilt, due to the fact that I did not love Wilfred, and they thought we were happily engaged. There was a reason this marriage was tearing me slowly to shreds. Wilfred was a gentleman, and deserved someone who loved him as well, rather than myself, who only had thought of him as a friend.

My eyes began to grow heavy, until I heard the door open suddenly, as I shot my body up. An ordinary maid walked in, delivering a message.

"Your majesty. Someone has requested to speak to you."

"Oh?" I said to her. "Let them if you may." I asked her.

She bowed to me, as she walked out of the room to bring whoever had visited me. I had wondered who would want to visit me, and I knew it could not be Wilfred, or Annie, since they would come in themselves. I saw the shadow of the person outside, as they stepped into my room.

"Hello Leila."

My body froze, and began to stiffen. My jaw dropped open, while my eyes felt as if they would pop out of the socket. It couldn't be.

"...You."

Was all I could say.


	6. Chapter 6

He reached for the lock on my door, and pressed it in, as I suddenly felt scared. He approached me closer, holding his arms out to me. I stood up from the bed, backing away from him. I gave him a look of disgust, while he continued to grin at me mischievously.

"Now, now? Is that any way to speak to your husband? I must say Leila, you looked quite beautiful up there with Prince Wilfred. " He answered, while still following me around the room.

"You're not my husband! I told you, I want nothing to do with you ever again!" I felt myself getting angry, at him, while he grabbed my wrists.

"I never liked your attitude. Or your big mouth. Maybe I should shut you up for good." His face got close to mine, as I screamed out loud. That didn't stop him.

I turned my head to the side, continuing to scream. He released his grasp, placing one hand over my mouth. I had one hand free, as I slapped him across the face. He winced, pulling away from me, while I ran over to the door, until I felt his arm grab onto mine.

"You think you can get away that easily?" He threw me onto the bed, while I began to kick at him. He got on top of me, pinning my arms down. I screamed even louder, while he began laughing, thinking it was humorous.

"Shut up! No one is coming to save you, no matter what. I'm going to make you regret what you did to me. As my wife, you should follow my orders." He placed his other hand around my neck, while I began to struggle.

The doorknob suddenly began to rattle, hearing a voice outside. It was Wilfred.

"Leila? Leila! Open the door! Are you alright?"

I bit his arm, while he slapped me across the face. I let out a whine, yelling out to Wilfred.

"Wilfred! Get he-" My sentence was cut off, while he covered my mouth again.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek, as he pushed his lips onto mine. It was sloppy, as I used all my force to push him off with my legs. His grip tightened, while I felt my face was burning. I couldn't let him do this to me. Not again. Suddenly the door burst open, seeing Wilfred in the doorway. His expression turned surprised, and then into anger. He ran over to me, throwing Adrian off of me, and holding him by his shirt collar.

"How dare you assault a woman? You're a disgusting example of a man! Get out of here!" He yelled, pushing him out of the room. Claude stood in the hall, and held him behind his back, along with a couple other men. He yelled out something while he was dragged away.

"Don't think you can rid of me that easily!" He smiled while he spoke.

I could feel my body shaking, my eyes watering. I hated him. I never wanted to see him ever again, and I couldn't believe he found me here. I placed my face in my hands, while Wilfred approached me, throwing his arms around me in a concerned matter.

"Leila. Please tell me he didn't do anything terrible to you. Hey, look at me."

He removed my hands from my face, not escaping the gaze he was holding. I looked up with him, from what I could see, while the tears blurred my vision.

"Who was that? Come on Leila, answer me please." He sat me down on the bed, wrapping one arm around my shoulders.

"M-My ex fiancee. His name is Adrian. He is one of the most disrespectful, disgusting men I have met. He was accused of sexually assaulting another woman while he had been engaged to me. Of course, he made me believe it was just a rumour, telling me so many lies, it would be impossible to count. When you love someone, you tend to believe everything that they say. I did love him. I felt as if he was the one I was meant to be with, and he told me the same thing. That's when I found out the truth. He had sexually assaulted someone very close to me. My very own younger sister. I was so idiotic to believe him over my own sister. He was soon sent to prison, and that was the end of it. He had become someone I never thought he would be. That's why I was so skeptical about this marriage. I didn't know if I could trust being with another man, and...I just..." I felt myself break down again, but held it back with all the force I possibly could, gripping onto Wilfred's sleeve. He then spoke.

"No, Leila it's alright. You don't have to say anymore. Yes, sometimes it's hard to believe what people have become. But you have to understand maybe that was the person they were meant to be that way, good or bad. It's never a good thing if they become one of the worst people you could possibly meet. But you learned the lesson. I don't blame you for having trouble trusting me. Heck, I can barely trust myself sometimes." He chuckled to himself, which I couldn't help but giggle.

"You have so many people who care about you Leila. Your family, and your country...and..." He paused.

"And?" I awaited his answer.

"I do. You can be such a pain, I have no choice but to worry about you." He joked, then embraced me.

Wilfred had somehow found a way to make me feel better, and I couldn't be any more grateful. I may of been wrong about him. But then that worried me again. Maybe he was too good to be true. I couldn't believe that though. He was a gentleman, and that cold expression he possessed at times, did not affect his personality at all. You can learn a lot about a person from associating with them, rather than assuming from their looks.

"Here. I thought you may of liked it." He pulled out a pink carnation from his white coat pocket.

"A carnation. You remembered how much I liked them didn't you?" I smiled, as I brought the carnation up to my nose.

"Of course. I had also ordered an entire vase of carnations for my bedroom to look at. They make me feel at ease. Certain flowers have that affect on you." He explained.

"That's very true." I giggled again. "Also the fact on how much we talk about flowers each time."

"Once again, very true." He smiled, giving a little laugh.

I suddenly felt an ache in my heart. He had a smile that could light up a room. It was quite for a couple seconds until he grabbed my hand.

"Leila. I'd like to go to Hedaway." His tone was serious, as I looked at him, puzzled.

"That was random. When were you thinking of visiting?" I asked.

"Now."

"What? Now?"

"Yes now." He demanded.

"But, isn't this a bit too sudden? We're going there soon for the announcement. Couldn't you just wait till then?" I recommended, but he ignored it.

"I don't want to wait anymore. Please Leila, I'd like to see your country. As well as your kingdom. I want to see how differently we live. It seems fascinating. I can set up everything with Claude now. I'll deliver the message to Annie as well, if you'd like." He was excited while he made plans, and it was quite cute. I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're so persistent Wilfred. No, I'll tell her. She's my maid. Go. I'll buzz up Annie."

He nodded, smiling at me while he exited the room. It hit me. I was going back to Hedaway. For some unknown reason I was nervous. But also quite excited. I would be having a long talk with my parents about the incident, as well as the reasoning behind this arranged marriage. Most importantly, I would get a chance to speak with my sister. Suddenly, the door swung open, Annie rushing over to me.

"You buzzed Miss? I heard everything that happened, I'm so sorry I didn't-"

"Annie it's alright. Do not blame yourself. I need you to help me pack some things. We're going back to Hedaway." I ordered politely.

"What? I'm confused Miss Leila. We are supposed to remain in Philip, or Prince Wilfred will-" I interrupted her once again.

"Wilfred is coming along. He is the one who made the plans. I tried to persuade him to wait, but he wouldn't budge. Just come along Annie. I need your help, please." I asked, as she helped me pack some clothes, as well as my other belongings.

We packed not to much, as I had clothes at home already, so it would be silly if I packed everything. I had packed about 6 dresses, not too fancy, 10 pairs of shoes, as well as a couple blouses. It didn't seem too ridiculous to me, but to the average person, I would be crazy for packing so much. We brought my bags down to the front doors of the castle, seeing Claude packing Wilfred's bags into a limo. There were two limos, one for our luggage, as well as one for us to travel in. Annie carried my bags outside, as I remained inside, waiting for the preparations to finish. I felt Wilfred's presence beside me, as he patted me on the shoulder gently.

"Thank you for letting me go to Hedaway. Once you've been in one place for so long and not travelled for awhile, I feel it would be necessary to go somewhere."

"I would think the Prince of Philip would travel quite often, wouldn't he? That's quite surprising. Besides, Hedaway is not that far away. If I remember, it's only about 2 hours away." I looked up at him.

"That doesn't matter to me. Although I do travel far away often, I just have not recently. No particular reason, I just had no buisness to take care of. Claude usually takes care of everything for me."

"_Miss Leila! Your highness! We are ready!" _Claude's voice from outside yelled out to us, as Wilfred grabbed my hand.

"Ready to go home?"

"Ready." I said. Although I wasn't too sure of my answer.

We walked out to the limo, as Claude held the door open for us. I had been sitting beside the window, while Wilfred sat beside me. Annie sat across from us, while Claude was driving.

"Um, Wilfred? Who is driving our luggage?" I asked, confused.

"Just another one of my butlers. Claude is my main one, but this one just helps me out once in a while when it's necessary." He answered, as I understood now.

I watched out the window, while Philip castle slowly drifted off into the distance. I grabbed the pink carnation from my jacket pocket, twirling it around in my fingers. I studied the beautiful petals, running my finger over it. I could feel Wilfred's gaze on me, while I looked back.

"You can be so weird sometimes." He told me, giving me a warm smile.

"Me? You're the one who wanted to leave so suddenly! Talk about strange." I argued back.

We laughed together, and continued to talk the entire ride. I could feel myself growing more comfortable with him, realizing that we're quite similar. Though I wasn't too sure, I had a feeling we would grow to become quite close friends. I needed that. I felt as if I could trust him with anything. The scary part was, I didn't want to end up in the same situation I had been with Adrian. But he didn't seem like that type of guy. He was sweet, honest, and had the type of personality that seemed almost unreal.

I knew I would enjoy this trip. Long or short, I had a feeling this would be exciting. I trusted my gut.


	7. Chapter 7

I was welcomed back home, as my parents welcomed me with open arms. My mother seemed quite surprised I was here, although I couldn't blame her from the sudden decision. There was no sight of my sister, though I couldn't find myself to approach her, even if she was present. She had eloped with her fiancee off to who knows where she could be, while my parents didn't show any sign of concern. Wilfred was polite to them, as so he should. Or it may have been better if my parents disapproved of him, and cancelled this whole thing. It had already been a month since my engagement, and it doesn't seem to bother me as much at it did.

Annie left to make us some tea, as we sat down in the courtyard. There was a music player, playing classical music at a good volume range. It always had been taken care of, seeing how the grass had somehow always gotten greener whenever I came here. Not to mention the aroma of fresh cut grass from around us.

"Leila. Can you show me around Hedaway? I'd like to see what you have been living with for all these years." Wilfred requested.

"Oh really? Says the one that did not show me around Philip at all, only his flower garden. We didn't step out of the castle at all." I joked with him, seeing that smile on his face that made my stomach flutter for the oddest reason.

"Yes, I know. I promise, once we arrive back in Philip I will take you around."

"Promise?" I held out my pinky, as a child would to seal a promise so it would not become broken.

He reached his pinky out locking it with mine, as we held it like that for a couple seconds until tea had arrived. Our attention shot to the tea, as we both fixed it up. I took a sip of the sweet tea, feeling the taste of cinnamon take over my taste buds. The warmth filled my body, making me feel as if I could fall asleep right there and then.

"Cinnamon tea. This is extravagant, thank you very much Annie." Wilfred shot her a warm smile, as I saw her cheeks flush a light pink.

"Y-You're quite welcome your highness. Miss Leila, your parents have planned a limo to pick up yourself and your highness. There have been reservations for dinner at La Maisonette." She informed us, as we looked at each other.

"Oh, alright. Thank you Annie. Tell my parents I give my thank you as well." I said, feeling oddly excited for this evening.

"Sounds great. I'd rather watch Leila cook though, than going to a fancy restaurant." Wilfred spoke, looking directly at me.

"Excuse me? Are you saying I'm a terrible cook?" I said offended, as he chuckled.

"Of course not. All I'm saying is I'd love to watch you cook a meal, rather than having food delivered to us as usual. It's becoming quite boring. Wouldn't it be a change to make a homecooked meal?"

His words had made sense to me. Maybe he was right. It would be a change, and it might be better to learn to do things ourselves, than have things done for us. I turned my gaze towards Annie, as her eyes wandered towards both Wilfred and I, looking confused.

"Annie, tell my parents to cancel the limo. Wilfred and I will be cooking tonight. But still please tell them I appreciate the reservations. If they like, they may go out for dinner. Why don't you join them?"

"M-Miss Leila! I could never join your parents for dinner. At such a fancy restaurant, I'd feel so out of place. Besides, I have some errands to run tonight. But thank you Miss. I appreciate your kindness."

"Doesn't she have such a warm heart?" Wilfred joined in, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I looked over at him surprised, as I gave him a warm smile. I could feel my cheeks go red.

Annie laughed, bowing towards us before leaving us in the courtyard. I placed my tea down onto the plate.

It was silent for a moment, until one of my most favourite classical pieces had came on. My eyes lit up, as I turned my face towards the music player, swaying my body back and forth to the beautiful tune that made me feel like dancing. I felt Wilfred's presence in front of me, holding out his hand. I looked at him puzzled, as he gave me a soft grin.

"Antonín Dvořák. Symphony number 3. Quite an amazing composer." He said to me.

"Y-You know this song? Yes he is. One of my favourites." I was shocked on how he recognized the piece, as well as the composer."

"Please,dance with me." He said, waiting for me to take his hand.

"Of course, since you did ask so nicely." I took his hand, as he led me to an empty space in the courtyard.

He placed his hand on my waist, while I rested my hand on his shoulder, one holding onto his hand. He began to lead me through the dance, staring directly at me. I had never noticed how blue his eyes were, which was very difficult not to, with his beautiful blonde hair revealing them. I studied him closer and closer, feeling my heart beating the longer I looked at him. His face went still as he looked at me with a stronger gaze. I could feel my pulse speed up by the minute. He could probably feel how nervous I had been. But he looked so relaxed while dancing. It was so different than the first time we met. It was if we felt more comfortable with each other. Thoughts continued running through my head until he spoke.

"I also see your dancing skills have improved."

"Are you saying I was a terrible dancer?" I said angrily.

"I'm just kidding Leila. You should be able to sense my humour. Being engaged and all." He winked, as the song finished. Though his hold didn't escape.

"Wilfred. The song's over." I spoke, while his hand tightened around my waist.

"Oh...yes. Sorry, the music must of caught control of me. Shall we go inside?" He cleared his throat, holding his arm out to me.

"Yeah..." Was all I could say, as we walked back into the castle, silently.

We arrived back inside, as Wilfred excused himself for a couple minutes. I had been confused by this, but decided to trust his intentions. I walked into my kitchen, and began looking for Annie, although there was no sight of her. I called her name all over again, yet still received no answer. She must of been upstairs talking to my mother and father about this evening, but I wouldn't imagine it would take her this long. I decided to head upstairs to check, knowing it wouldn't hurt to know where my own maid was. I reached the top of the stairs, and began walking down the long hallway to the throne room, where they are usually at this time of hour. The door appeared closed, which was not normal at all. I took smaller steps towards the door, hearing voices. One of them was Annie, as well as Wilfred. Why was Wilfred there? I know I should not eavesdrop, but it would be rude of me to interrupt. I pressed my ear gently to the door, and began to listen.

"There was a particular reason I had wanted to visit you here." Wilfred's voice spoke.

"Yes. How has Leila been treating you? I hope she has not been cold towards you." It was my mother.

"No, of course not. She's very intriguing. But...I care about her happiness, and I want her to live the life she wants. Which is why I have come here to speak to you." Wilfred's tone was lower than usual, with a hint of sadness.

"They have gotten quite close since their first meeting, your Highness." Annie said towards my mother.

"Well, boy. Say what you have on your mind." My fathers voiced echoed throughout the room.

"I would like to find a way to cancel this arranged marriage."

"What?!" I blurted out, and covered my mouth from my sudden outburst.

The room went silent, as my heart started to beat faster, hoping they wouldn't of heard me.

"Annie! Why are you interrupting? Remain silent!" My fathers voiced yelled, as I could just imagine her confused look. I giggled to myself quietly, though I felt bad.

"Prince Wilfred. Why have you come to us a month after the arrangement? It's quite late don't you think? It would confuse very many people, both in Hedaway and Philip." My mother told him.

"I want her to find somebody she can live the rest of her life with in happiness. She's inspirational, beautiful, and one of the most understanding people I have ever met in my life. She told me she wanted this for me too. Her wishes have become mine, and I want them to come true. I cannot tell you how lovely Leila is, since I would run out of words. So if you could please understand where your daughter is coming from, as well as myself. I had never cared about anyone before I met her. But she seems to find a way to make people care. That is why I would like her to search for that person who she will care the most about."

My face went still from his words, my eyes heating up. I clenched my fists to hold back the emotions I was feeling. Wilfred was the inspirational one, not me. I could learn a lot from him. He knows me better than I know myself. The fact that he would want me to find happiness couldn't mean more to me than it already does. I found myself begin to cry, and ran back downstairs, deciding not to listen to anymore that would be said. I ran downstairs into the kitchen, figuring out what to cook tonight. It was a good distraction from what just happened. Maybe I could make a Soufflé for dessert with some pasta as the main. I had never cooked very much, so this would be like the first time for me. I wiped away some tears from my cheek, and opened the fridge grabbing eggs and milk. I opened the cupboard, and grabbed some pasta. Suddenly I heard footsteps approach me. I didn't bother turning around, and grabbed a pot from above the stove. I turned on the burner, until I felt a hand reach beside me, turning it off.

"Turn it on after you put the water in the pot." Wilfred said, whispering in my ear which made me jump.

"Gaah! Why do you just sneak up on me like that? Besides, what do you know about cooking? You've never cooked a day in your life." I grumbled, walking over to the sink.

"No, but I have the common sense not to turn on a hot burner with nothing on it. What if someone comes along and touches it?" He flicked my forehead.

"Someone would have to be ridiculous to do that. Who on earth would walk up to a stove and touch it randomly?" I joked.

"Anyways. What are you making?" He asked, looking over my shoulder at the recipe.

"What's it to you?" I joked, flicking his forehead.

"Oh, pasta. What's all in it?" He asked, his finger over the word.

I read the ingredients, and named them out. "Well, it's a primavera. So it's a vegetable pasta. Tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and other vegetables. But these are the ones I only want to use in them. I'd rather not use squash." I looked at him, while he turned away.

"Oh, um, alright then. Sounds delicious." He sounded odd, until I turned his shoulders around to face me.

"What's wrong? Come on, tell me." I pressured him, until he finally burst.

"Alright! Alright. I don't like carrots. Just, don't tell anyone please." His face turned red, which looked quite adorable, I must say.

"...That's it? Why are you so embarrassed? We all have things we dislike, it's no big deal. I just wont put them in. Simple as that. Okay?" I said to him, as a smile grew on his face.

"Thanks."

We smiled at each other, and cooked side by side, reading each step and measurement. Wilfred messed up on one step, which was cracking the eggs for the soufflé, although it was not a big deal. It felt relaxing to be cooking with him.

By the time we finished cooking and eating, it had already reached 10pm. We started dinner quite late which was usually how it was. Surprisingly it turned out great, even though it was two amateurs doing the same job. Dishes were kindly done by Annie. I had gone back up to my bedroom, revealing a sigh of relief to be back in my own bedroom again. The smell of my duvet on my bed smelled like lilacs, as my furniture remained polished. Even though I had not been in my own room, they still took very much care of it, which was greatly appreciated. I walked out to my balcony, looking up at the dark blue sky, along with the twinkling stars. The sound of crickets echoed outside, along with a warm breeze. I could see my town in the distance, lights still in the windows, while some flashed off. I closed my eyes, letting the warm air brush against my skin. My hair was tied back, feeling it rush across my neck. It never occurred to me how fast this month had went, with everything that has happened.

But I knew that there was more to come.

I had to be prepared for the obstacles that were ahead.


	8. Chapter 8

Morning had come quicker than I thought. I opened my eyes, reminding myself that I was home. I smiled to myself, and let out a long stretch. Annie had not come into my room yet, which was odd. Something was not right about her. She's been acting unlike herself, and I wanted to desperately know why. My suspicions were about what I had overheard the other day. But I couldn't worry about the littlest things right now. I would form wrinkles.

I sat up from bed, and looked across to my armoire. There had been a little blue sundress, hanging on the gold handle. I smiled, as I walked over, running my hand over the silky dress. It had spaghetti straps, and ended just above the knee. It came with a black, button less cardigan, with long sleeves. It was soft as well, and matched the dress perfectly. I pulled it off the handle, while a little small note fell down to my feet. I bent down, and picked it up. It had a beautiful scent, as I could tell it was scented stationery. It had a faint smell of lilac, as well as the beautiful smell of a violet. I opened it up, seeing Wilfred's black writing.

_**Leila,**_

_**I had been out in Philip one afternoon, and had seen this dress. Your face had suddenly appeared into my head, and I had this sudden urge to buy it. Annie has showed me a main attraction here in Hedaway, and I must say, it looks quite beautiful. We will be going here this morning, and spending the rest of the day out of the castle. Though it is not my say to keep you away from the castle, I would very much like to spend the day with you. This is what this dress is for. I hope you like it, because you will be wearing it the whole day today.**_

_**~Wilfred**_

The letter made me smile while I read each and every word of it. It was thoughtful of him to do this for me. He was quite the gentleman after all. I began to get myself dressed in the beautiful outfit, at least trying to look half decent. What attraction had he been speaking about? Even though I am the princess, I had absolutely no idea where he was taking me. I had known everywhere in Hedaway, which I would most likely recognize when we arrived, but he made it sound so mysterious. I felt a sudden rush of excitement while I thought about it. By the time I had finished preparing myself for going out, I had heard a knock on my door. I looked at myself once more before I had walked over to my bedroom door, and opened it, revealing Annie.

"Oh Annie! I had missed you this morning." I smiled at her, pulling her into a hug. She let out a small groan. I then released her from my grasp, looking at her.

"I'm sorry. Are you in pain? What has happened?" I asked, concerned.

"No, no, milady. I am just not feeling the best today. Surely you understand." I could sense sickness in her voice, though she forced a smile.

"Take as much time off as you need. You know you're like a close friend to me right Annie? You're not just my maid. I'd hate to see you be in a worse condition. Go lay down. That's the only order I have for you."

She was silent for a moment, until this time she hugged me. I was surprised, until I hugged her right back. Annie and I had a different kind of relationship than most other royals and their maids. I thought of her as a friend more than a maid. She was there for me, most of the time, more than my own mother. Though it should be understandable since my mother is currently ruling Hedaway, she's busy almost everyday.

I headed downstairs after sending Annie off, seeing Wilfred standing by the door, with a brown, wool like sweater on, with a white shirt under it. When we didn't dress like royals, it felt more natural. Like we could be ourselves, and put away the other side of us that we didn't always want to be. He looked at me, while a big smile appeared on his face. I felt my cheeks flush a bright pink, and turned my head away slightly. I approached him, while he held out his arm.

"Shall we? Princess Leila?"

"Yes, we shall, Prince Wilfred."

We both laughed at our ridiculous formality of each others names, and walked out to the front steps. We walked down the multiple steps, I began to get tired, and heavily breathing. I had always hated these stairs. There was so many, it was very easy to get tired. Wilfred put his hand on my shoulder, must of noticing my breathing.

"Leila? Are you alright?" His tone was the usual. Warm, and soft.

"Oh, yes I'm fine. I'm just confused on why they had thought it was necessary to add these many stairs. I don't enjoy it one bit." I laughed, while I forced him to continue down the stairs.

He gave a half smirk, and continued walking. I began to catch my breath again, and climbed into the car door. I had expected to see a driver in the car, until Wilfred climbed into the drivers seat. I looked at him, puzzled, while he began to laugh.

"You don't want to be recognized do you? Then lets act like regular citizens today." He started the car while talking to me, hearing the engine roar.

"I suppose you're right. It's a nice change. But still, won't they know what we look like?" I questioned him.

He pulled out two pairs of black sunglasses from his sweater pocket, giving me a mischievous look. I raised one eyebrow at him, slowly reaching for the pair of sunglasses.

"This is crazy. No one will buy us, just because we are wearing sunglasses. They're bound to find out." I spoke to him.

"Well, if they do, who cares? We are going to enjoy this day Leila, no matter what. Don't let your royalty status keep you from doing things like this. I don't let it stop me. I enjoy ruling Philip, and serving my people, but there are those days where I like to be myself, not my prince character." His words hit my heart, and I had agreed with him fully.

"Yes. Now, lets go. We're just going to waste time talking the whole time, which means less fun." I giggled.

He began to drive, as I rolled down the window, looking at the beautiful green grass that surrounded the whole town, smiles on peoples faces as they walked with loved ones. I couldn't be more proud of what my country had become, or my soon to be country is what I should say instead. Hedaway was my home, and I could not express my love for it. My future as queen would be a good one, and I could feel it. We all have that sense that something good will happen, or a turn for the worse could approach. But I couldn't sense that feeling. I could only think of the positive aspects that awaited us. I turned my head towards Wilfred, watching his still expression while driving. His bright blue eyes shimmering in the sunlight draping through the windows. He had such a strong, beautiful shaped face, and high cheekbones. He was handsome to look at. He must of caught me admiring him, and turned towards me.

"Admiring me? I knew you had an interest in me." He teased.

"N-No! I was just thinking how I have to spend the entire day with a person like you." I lied.

I shot my head back out the window from the sudden scene change. We had reached a long road, and at the side revealed a beach. The water was glimmering a light blue, with the seagulls talking in the background. A smile grew onto my face, as I had finally realized where we were going.

"We're at my beach house, are we not? I know this beach very well, and it looks exactly like mine. You liar. It's not a main attraction at all!" I slapped his shoulder teasingly, as he stopped the car.

"I had to get you out here, so there was no way I would just tell you we were going to the beach. Although it is a main attraction with passerby's. People love walking by this beach. Though I do not think they know you own a beach house here." His eyes wandered around while speaking, trying to find it. I laughed, and grabbed his hand, lifting up his index finger.

"Over there, covered by the trees. This beach is protected by a fence for a reason, Wilfred." I told him.

We began walking, while he pulled a key out of his pocket. I looked at him, stunned, while he poked me on the forehead.

"Relax, I didn't steal this key. Annie gave it to me, of course. I told you this was a secret right?" He spoke, stern.

"I wouldn't think you stole it. I'm just surprised she gave it to you that easily. She is very obedient, so I should not be that surprised." I joked with him while we walked through the gate.

I had wanted to visit my beach much recently before I had been scheduled to go to Philip, but had not gotten the chance, so this meant quite a lot to me. I had always came here with my parents, since they had never trusted me here alone. I remember I would attempt to sneak out late in the afternoon, but had only gotten away with it once, and that was because a guard had just happened to been outside the castle. I had wanted to be independent so much. But now since I was here with Wilfred, they trusted me. Maybe I could use him as a toy. That was a joke to me. We arrived at the front door, Wilfred opening it. I breathed in the fresh air that surrounded the house, seeing the elegant fireplace lit already. I immediately looked over at Wilfred, who nodded. I had guessed it was him who made all the preparations.

"Why did you do this? You went through all this just to spend the day with me?" I asked him, feeling shy.

"Of course Leila. I enjoy spending time with you. I figured we can act ourselves around each other from now on, so why not have fun together for once?" His words made me feel content.

Maybe he was right. This could be the best possibility to mention what I had heard him saying the other day to my parents. Why would he want to cancel the arranged marriage all of a sudden? That was the biggest mystery I had to figure out right now.

"Leila. Your beach house is very nice. I like the cobblestone counters in the kitchen." He said, running his fingertips over the the counter.

"Thank you. Um...Wilfred? I had been wanting to ask you this for awhile and...well...It's been bugging me. Could you please hear me out?" I asked him, while he came into the living room, sitting on the cream coloured sofa.

"Of course. You know you can tell me anything you desire. Sit down." He patted the open spot next to him.

I hesitantly sat down, twiddling my thumbs. I could see he was awaiting my question, when I finally decided to bring it up.

"I had been near the throne room the other day. I had been overhearing the conversation, not on purpose of course, and heard you mention the fact that you would like to cancel the marriage. Not that I do not agree with that suggestion, but why so suddenly?

He was quiet for a moment, until he took both of my hands in his. My eyes shot up instantly to meet his, as I was drawn into them. His expression was still, as if he had something important to say. Which he usually did.

"Leila...I want you to be happy. I cannot have you marry someone you don't have romantic feelings for. I don't believe it's right to force that upon you, as we have spoke about in the past. I have not received an answer from your parents yet. But I wish that they will give us the permission to put it all aside and go back to our own lives. Can you understand that?"

No..I didn't understand it at all.

"Of course I understand...Well...I shouldn't be lying at this point. But I don't quite get how you are assuming how I feel. I wish the same for you Wilfred. I was upset about this marriage at one point too. But don't you think it was a sign? That we were meant to become as close as we are now?"

His head dropped down, as he began to speak again.

"Are you saying...You have feelings for me? Leila...Are you in love with me?"

My eyes widened, feeling my pulse begin to race, just like all the other times he had brought up such a serious topic. I didn't know how to answer this.

"Wilfred, I-"

"No. Please, do not say anymore." His hand reached up for my chin, tilting my head upwards.

His eyes remained on mine, not moving an inch of his body towards mine. He remained still, gazing at me, which an expression I haven't seen on his face from all this time. This time, he started to move towards me. His lips were inches away from mine, seeing his eyes close. I didn't know how to react. I felt myself slowly close my eyes. But...I didn't feel anything. I opened my eyes, seeing Wilfred pull away, with a cold, yet saddened expression this time. I couldn't figure out the face he had a couple minutes ago when he was about to kiss me. Then he spoke.

"I'll go prepare something for us to eat. Please, forget what just had happened." He stood up from the sofa, turning his back away from me, and headed into the kitchen.

What was that just then?


	9. Chapter 9

Night had arrived, as Wilfred and I had just arrived back at the beach house. I had figured we would have gone back to the castle, but was mistaken when the car had taken us back here. It was an awkward tension between us, and it felt as if I was the only one who had noticed it. Wilfred sparked a conversation whenever he possibly could, and it made me irritated. It didn't irritate me that he was trying to speak with me, but what had really upset me was he was pretending what happened earlier was nonexistent. I clenched my fists whenever the thought had approached my mind. Did Wilfred have feelings for me? Or was he fooling me to see if I had? The thoughts were filling up in my head, feeling as if my brain would dissolve right there and then.

My eyes were focused on the roaring fire that was in the fireplace, wrapped up in a simple brown sweater, and a black undershirt. I was dressed casual for once, not that I didn't before, but I liked this look the best. Wilfred sat in a chair across from me, keeping his eyes on the fireplace as well, not giving me a single glance. Though on the rare occasion he would shoot a smile at me and return to what he was doing. To this point, I began to feel my anger shoot to a boil. I shot my body up, and stormed out the front door. I could feel his gaze on my back, and could not care less. I walked across the sandy beach, feeling the cool sand digging into my feet with each step I took. I looked out to the water, hearing the occasional waves hitting against the shore line. My heart ached. It was an odd aching feeling. I could barely think at this point. I wanted to clear all these mixed feelings out of my head. However it made me wonder. Did I have feelings for Wilfred? Did I love him? I couldn't have. I didn't know if I wanted to. It would make things so much more complicating for myself. I held my head in confusion, hearing the distance footsteps approach me.

"Leila? What's the matter?" It was Wilfred. I didn't bother turning around.

"Oh, nothing at all." I forced out. "Just thought I'd go for a night walk on the beach. It's quite pleasant."

He released a small, quiet laugh. Once again, it was silent between us. I had to ask him what that was today. Along with what the idea was behind it. He was so serious, it had been sticking with me the entire day. But I had to start a normal conversation, without bringing up another difficult subject that would not end well. I had figured out the perfect thing to bring up.

"I had almost forgotten. We hold an annual festival for the passing kings and queen of Hedaway in honour of their dedication. Would you join in? That is, if you have the time. I know how busy your schedule can be."

Suddenly, he began to take closer steps towards me, placing both hands on my shoulders.

"I always have time for you Leila. It would be my honour to attend such a courteous ceremony." His smile made my heart flutter. Though his sudden mood change made me flustered again. I pulled away, turning my back towards him.

"W-What is with you? First you do what you did earlier today, ignore me, then return back to acting like this? It's troublesome. It angers me that you do that so often. More so, annoys me to no end. Can you stop playing around with me?" I raised my voice at him so suddenly, I covered my mouth in shock.

"S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean to. That was uncalled for. T-Thank you. It means a lot for you to come." I attempted again to change the subject, though that would not solve what I had just bursted out.

He was silent, looking out towards the water. I awkwardly awaited for him to speak, and I knew he had wanted too. I decided to give up, and walked past him with my head down, feeling shameful for my attitude towards him. But I felt as if he deserved to hear what I had to say. I couldn't hold my words in very much longer. It felt as if I was doing him a service of telling him what had been on my mind.

"I had an eventful day with you. Good night Wilfred." I stopped to speak, and turned my head once again to walk away.

Instantly, I felt a hand grip onto my wrist, pulling me back. My body shot back, feeling his arms wrapped around me tightly. My arms were resting at my side, feeling a strong urge to wrap my arms around his back, and squeeze onto him. To breathe in his scent, which made me feel so safe. I could hear his heartbeat, and felt it against me. I shut my eyes automatically.

"Leila." He spoke.

"You say my name too much." I managed to speak, muffled into his chest.

"I'm sorry. I want to tell you so many things, but I cannot find myself to do it. At least not at this time. I want you to understand that. Even if it results in you hating me, I have to do what is best." I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"What is best? I don't know what you mean by that. I couldn't hate you Wilfred. I don't think I could ever find myself to hate you, although at the beginning I must admit, I had a slight despise for you." I admitted, but still feeling puzzled at his words.

"I am doing what is best for you. Not for myself. You taught me that. You taught me that I should care about others, before myself." He escaped our embrace, giving me one last smile before turning his back.

"How do you know what is best for me?" I bit my lip, holding back more anger that was trying to escape me. But not this time. I couldn't let it.

"Please, just trust me." His tone was soft. "It's tough for myself, except I am doing this for you. Goodnight Leila. Sweet dreams." He looked back at me, appearing to force a smile, and vanished into the house.

What exactly was he doing for me? How was he doing me any service?I could not help but trust him. Could he not sense how I felt about him? Then, it had hit me harder than I had ever thought before. I had fallen in love with Wilfred. I had fallen in love with the way he could warm my heart more than anyone else could. He brought me the most joy anyone could as well. He made me feel like the safest person in the world. I could put my life in his hands if I had wanted to. The feelings he had been giving me this entire time were signs that I had loved him before I could even realize it. I had to tell him. It would eat me up inside if I hadn't. There was no proper time to tell him. We would be returning to the castle tomorrow morning. It was the most terrible time to realize such a thing, though at the same time, it made me happier than I ever could. But I knew something would come around and ruin it, which usually happens when we find out our true feelings.

I reached into my sweater pocket, revealing a beautiful red carnation. I had remembered he had given this to me recently. It was slightly wrinkled, but it appeared just as beautiful to me. It was because he had given it to me. I brought it up to my nose, smelling the faint aroma. I ran my fingers over the wrinkled petals, as one fell to the ground. I released a long sigh, and headed inside, and decided to attempt sleeping, knowing it would be impossible from the constant thoughts of him running through my head.

He was giving me so much emotions. But, I couldn't help but enjoy it.

"_Leila...Leila..." _A faint voice spoke.

"Hmm...Wilfred..." I mumbled, opening my eyes to reveal the person I had loved the most.

"You've been dreaming of me, I see?" He half grinned, as I slapped his arm, with as little strength I had.

I sat up from bed, realizing he had probably seen what I looked like about now. I grabbed my blankets, and buried my face into them, feeling embarrassed. My hair had looked like a tornado had went through it, and I had most likely appeared as if I had risen from the dead. I heard a chuckle, feeling the covers be pulled off of me.

"Don't hide yourself. You look beautiful, even in the mornings." He straightened the top of my hair, as I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks turn pink.

"S-So do you. I-I mean not beautiful, but handsome, yes. That's the word I had meant."

I was such an idiot.

"Thank you. But, the reason I had come to wake you up is we are requested to come to the castle immediately. Your parents have asked to see us." He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear while he spoke.

"That's unusual. Alright, I'll slip something on, and be right out." I was puzzled.

Wilfred bowed towards me, and dismissed himself out of the room. I was unsure of what my parents had wanted to see us about. I couldn't imagine it being anything serious. But if it was, I had to be prepared. I couldn't help but be slightly nervous for what my parents had to say to us, but it was expected. It was my parents, of course.

I had managed to make myself presentable, slipping on an average yellow sundress, and black heels. I closed the door to my room, and looked back at the house one last time before stepping out, and locking it. I made my way over to the car, to see Wilfred in the drivers seat, staring blankly ahead, appearing to be in deep thought. What he had said yesterday sat in my mind all day, and I didn't get much sleep either. It was as if I could fall to the ground right now and sleep. I held myself up, and gotten into the car, as we headed back to the castle.

"Did my parents tell you what they had wanted to see us for? As well as why it must be so urgent?" I asked him while looking out the window.

"No, they hadn't. I'm curious myself to be perfectly honest. We'll find out when we get there, won't we?" He gave me a quick glance, then looked back to the road.

"I suppose we will." Was all I could find to say.

It was silent the rest of the way, until we finally arrived back. I stepped out of the car, as Wilfred held the door open for me. I smiled warmly at him, as we walked inside the castle together. We were welcomed by Annie and Claude, who looked quite serious. I gave Annie a concerned look, as she placed one hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"Do not worry miss. It's nothing terrible." Her voice was soft and quiet, as usual.

I nodded at her, as she led us to the throne room, where they usually are. I never do see them in their room, except for the late evening after they have finished tasks. They were dedicated. It made me feel proud to be their daughter. Except I had wished they would take it easy on some days, and not overwork themselves.

Annie and Claude opened the doors for us, as we walked in slowly. There, I spotted my parents sitting, while carrying a conversation with each other. It hadn't been till we approached them closer that they noticed us there, as my mother walked down the steps, giving me a warm hug.

"My dear. How was your day with Wilfred?"

"It was great, mother. I had an excellent time." I forced out.

Half of that was a lie.

"Anyways. The reason we have called you both here is we have some news. Good or bad, that is your opinion." My father spoke, his strong gaze on both Wilfred and I.

"Leila. Wilfred. It has been ordered that the arranged marriage that has been planned for you both, has been cancelled, and you both will no longer be living with each other. The announcement has been delivered to both Hedaway and Philip this morning. Which means, you may both be freed of one another."

"Dear! That's not the right way to put it." My mother exclaimed.

"What?!" I yelled, as my jaw drew open.

My prediction were right. Something had to come along and ruin it. And this was it. The thing I dreaded at first finally became something that meant something to me. Now it was gone, right before my eyes.

**No, this is not the end of the story, don't worry, haha. I have so much more planned, and it's going to get even better, so stick with me! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. xx**


	10. Chapter 10

Evening had approached, as I lay on my bed, staring at the roof. Constant thoughts ran through my mind, though I couldn't think of a time of when they don't. Wilfred would be leaving tomorrow, and I couldn't grasp on why this would happen so suddenly. Seeing someone you believe to love, leaving right in front of your eyes. I continued to think, until a knock approached on my door.

"Come in." I said, still gazing up at the roof.

I heard someone come into my room, assuming it was Annie. But it wasn't. I looked over to see Wilfred, closing the door behind him. He looked over at me, and gave a chuckle.

"I had figured you were reading, or out on your balcony. Instead, you're staring up into space." He walked over to my bed, and sat at the edge. I sat up beside him.

"Just got caught up in my own thoughts. It happens a lot usually." I sighed.

He must of sensed my disappointment somewhere in my expression. He furrowed his eyebrows, and placed his arm around my shoulder.

"I want you to know the time I had with you was the most enjoyable experience I've had. Not that I live a boring, stale life, and haven't enjoyed other activities in my life, though I feel as if I can be myself around you. I usually can't show that side of myself often." He spoke in a way as if I could feel how he was feeling right now. I had sympathy for him.

"I never got a good look at Philip though. You owe me a day out like you said. But I'm glad you enjoyed being in my company. I enjoyed yours as well." I said, holding back the pain I was feeling. Not just emotional pain, but actual pain. It was as if my lungs were on fire.

"I'd ask for you to return to Philip with me, although that would not be fair to your citizens, as well as your family." He said, showing me that smile I adored so well.

"Y-Yeah.." I said in a soft tone.

My eyes began to feel heavy, as a tight feeling in my chest formed. My body twitched back, and suddenly it felt as if I couldn't breathe. I began gasping for air, and placed my hands on my chest, not being able to breathe in any air whatsoever.

"Leila! are you alright? Leila!" Wilfred continued to call my name, until I could no longer hear his voice.

Everything had gone completely black, and I could no longer hear the sound of his voice, nor his soft touch.

_Beep...Beep...Beep..._

I awakened to the sound of beeping in the background, seeing my vision was slightly blurry. I looked around, seeing it had not been my bedroom, rather a hospital room. I looked to the side of the bed, seeing Wilfred laying his head on my lap, appearing to be asleep. I lifted up my arm to stroke his soft, blonde hair. He let out a soft moan, and looked up to face me. A soft smile appeared on his face.

"I'm so glad you're alright..you scared me last night." He let out a sigh, and clutched onto my hand.

"Don't..you leave...today?" I struggled to speak, letting out long breaths in between.

He placed a hand on my mouth. "Don't worry about it. Everything's been settled. I'm going to stay by your side until you're all better." He brought my hand up to his lips.

I smiled at him, still feeling physically weak. Had he brought me to the hospital? He was being so nice to me, I couldn't help but feel grateful to have him by my side. A tear rolled down my cheek, which he soon noticed. He wiped it away with his thumb.

"Hey. Don't cry please. I don't want to see you in any more pain. It causes me pain as well." He forced a smile to cheer me up.

"I'm not as strong as you are." I forced out with all my breath, feeling my eyes grow heavy.

I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep once again. I knew that when I would wake up, Wilfred would be at my side. I only wished I could have that all the time. Before I knew it, I blurted out the words I have wanted to tell him.

"_I...Love...You."_

It was silent, as a smile grew onto my face. Then I felt something. I felt lips on mine. I opened my eyes slightly, to see a pair of blue eyes looking directly down at me. Wilfred had been kissing me, and I knew I wasn't dreaming. I closed my eyes once again, feeling an electric shock running through my veins while he kissed me. Our lips parted, but I could still sense how close his face was with mine.

"I love you...as well." He whispered.

He gripped onto my hand tighter, as I wrapped my fingers with his. I entered a deep sleep yet again, knowing the dreams I would have would be good ones.

"_Miss Leila...Please wake up..."_

My eyes fluttered open, no longer feeling Wilfred's hand holding onto mine. I looked up to see Annie, smiling as usual, holding onto my hand this time.

"The doctor said you'll be fine. You were just shortness of breath. They hooked you up to an oxygen tank once you arrived, so you should feel refreshed in a couple hours." She explained.

"That's good...Can I go home now...Annie?" I asked.

"Of course, Miss. I'll go get a wheelchair. The limo is already parked out front and-"

I interrupted her. "No. I would like to walk. No need for a wheelchair." I used all my strength to sit up, realizing how much better I had felt. Though my body still felt weak.

"Careful, milady." Annie said worriedly, as she helped me slip out of bed, putting my pair of white flats onto my feet. I wrapped my arms around her neck to stand up, feeling my knees give in. She caught me, as I gave a little laugh.

"How much drugs did they give me?" I joked.

She giggled, as a nurse walked into the room, and began unplugging the tubes from my nose. They both helped me exit out of the room, and out into the lobby. I heard quiet gasps in the lobby, seeing worried faces.

"Is that princess Leila? What happened to her?" A voice whispered.

A little girl ran infront of me, shyly holding out a beautiful red rose to me. She made eye contact with me, and went onto her tip toes, handing me the rose.

"F-For you, Princess Leila! I hope you get better soon!" She had cute rosy cheeks, and beautiful brunette hair. I bent down, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I love roses. Thank you very much. Don't forget, you're a princess too, alright?" I patted her head, as her eyes glimmered with happiness, and nodded to me.

I smiled to her, as Annie helped me stand up. I gave a wave to everybody in the lobby, as they bowed towards me. The automatic doors opened, as I walked out, revealing the bright sunshine. The black limo was parked in front of the hospital. Annie rushed over to the door, and opened it for me. I smiled to her, as she helped me sit down.

"Here is a blanket in case you get cold. If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask me." She placed the blanket on my lap.

"Thank you." Was all I could find myself to say.

We began driving, until it came to me. Where had Wilfred disappeared too? The first moment I had woken up and...I can't believe it, as I remembered what had happened. I had told him I loved him, in my half asleep state, not to mention half of the drugs talking. But he said it back. He loved me too. He kissed me there and then, and the thought of it made me feel warm.

"I'm an idiot.." I said to myself.

"I wouldn't say that." A voice said.

I hesitantly turned around, eyes widened, as I saw Wilfred sitting there beside me. I scooted away from him, seeing him give a look of confusion.

"What's wrong?" He said, scooting closer to me.

"No! Stop! Stay there!" I ordered him, putting both my hands up, as he continued to move closer to me.

He didn't listen, and began moving closer towards me, until his body was almost on top of mine. I couldn't move back anymore, feeling no use of pushing him away since I still felt somewhat weak. He placed his lips on top of mine, cupping my face in his hands. My arms lay at my side, while he continued to kiss me.

"Ngnn..s-stop..." I released.

He pulled away, taking my hand in his. I could feel the heat on my cheeks, as I avoided his eye contact.

"W-What I said in the hospital..I.." I took a long breath in before speaking again.

"Are you saying you didn't mean what you said? Perhaps I'm not your type?" He moved away from me, as he said this.

"Can we just talk about this when we get back, please?" I sighed.

Then I remembered this evening was the festival for Hedaway. Which would be the perfect opportunity to clear things up with Wilfred. I couldn't believe myself for what I had said, yet I felt so happy. He loved me. Yet it was so embarrassing at the same time. But when someone loves you back, you can't help but want to give them all of your love. Which is what I wanted to do for him. I reached over for his hand, and squeezed it, while looking at the window.

I couldn't help but wonder where this would lead to.


End file.
